jones



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. H. JONES & E. E. TOWLE. CORN PLANTER.

No. 595,177. T Patented De0.7, 1897.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. H. JONES & E. E. TOWLE.

CORN PLANTER.

Patented Dec. 7, 1897.

Willi/Mg:

UNiTnn STATES SYLVESTER II. JONES AND ELMER E. TOYVLE, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA PATENT OFFICE.

ASSIGNORS TO THE IIOOSIER DRILL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CORN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,177, dated December 7, 1897'.

Application filed June 21, 1897. Serial No. 641,660. (No model.)

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Planters, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide seed-dropping mechanism which will require the use of only one valve in the heel of the ordinary runnenplanter and which will drop the corn near the ground.

Another object of our invention is to provide a continuous-running driving-shaft arranged with intermittent gear automatically brought into or out of gear by the checkrower or hill-dropping levers, so as to plant the corn in hills and avoiding the use of reciprocating mechanism for driving the seedplate. Another object of our invention is to provide means for swiveling the runner-frame on the driving-shaft, so that the drivingehain is not affected by the raising and lowering of the front frame, thereby securing the uniform feed motion which is essential to the proper operation of a continuous-feedshaft drive.

The features of our invention are more fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of the planter. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the runner-frame. Fig. 3 is asectional elevation of a hand dropping mechanism. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the method of hinging the frame.

' Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the hinged clamping-plates. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the seed-plate and tripping mechanism. Fig. 7 is a similar view with the hold-plate or cap removed. Fig. 8 is a section on line mm, Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of the mutilated gear. Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the feedplate driven by said mutilated gear. Fig. 11 is a bottom plan view of the ordinary gear. Fig. 12 is a coacting seed-plate.

A A represent the ground-wheels, A the axle, and A the main or wheel frame mounted 011 the axle of an ordinary runner-planter.

B represents the runners of the front frame.

a a represent the cross frame-pieces, secured in the ordinary manner.

0 0 represent the seedboxes, supported upon the runnerfra1ne.

b represents asprocket-wheel on the main axle A.

0 represents a sprocket-wheel on the continuous feed shaft D. 0 represents the sprocket-chain for driving the same.

In order that the feed-shaft D may be driven at all times in the same relative speed without being affected by the raising and lowering of the runner-frame, we hinge the front frame to the arms cl of the main frame by an eye or swivel-bearing f on the ends of said arms (I, encircling the feed-shaft D, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

'6 represents the bottom clamp-plate, and e the top clamp -plate. They are gained through, so as to receive the swivel-eye f of the frame-arms d.

g represents segment-plates forming the journal-bearing of the eye on shaft D. Shaft D is supported in journals E, attached to the seedboxes at each end, and these are the main journal-supports. The bearings g serve merely as swivel attachments, and as the driving-shaft D is the axis of the swiveling of the front frame its motion does not affeet the speed of the drive-wheel or tend to cramp the action of the driving-chain, and this is a very important feature where a continuously-driven shaft is employed, as it is essential to have a uniform speed of the dropping-plate.

The feed-shaft D is continuously driven by the sprocket-chain, and when the planter is to be used as a drill the ordinary gear-plates F and seed-plates G are employed. Said gear is driven by the gear H on shaft D, and this is the ordinary mode'of drilling.

I represents the ordinary holding or cap plate, secured to the bottom plate I of the seedbox by the clamping-bolt i, so as to allow a change of gear, as well as a change of seedplates.

In order that the seed may be planted in hills and the seed-plates driven by the con tinuously-rotating shaft D, We provide the following mechanism:

K represents a mutilated gear which is sup- ICO ported in the seedbox, as shown in Fig. 8, and is used in lieu of the gear F. Y

J represents a seed-plate provided with lugs j, which depend in the notches 7c of the mutilated gear. Said plate travels or rotates with said gear.

Z represents seed-holes large enough to receive two, three, four, or five grains of corn, as the case may be. The mutilated feed-gear is brought into engagement by the operation of the rook-shaft L, whether said rock-shaft is operated by the ordinary check-rowing devices or by the hand-lever M or by the footlever m. We will describe the operation of the same with reference to the hand-lever M. Said lever is provided with a bell-crank arm and is journaled on the center n.

N represents the tripping-arm, secured to rock-shaft L.

0 represents a coil-spring which is compressed when the upper end of said arm moves onward.

0 represents a connecting-rod hinged to the arm h of the hand-lever M and to the arm N.

P represents a pawl connected by the rod P to a crank-arm on the rock-shaft L.

19 represents lugs arranged around the periphery of the mutilated gear K. Normally gear H is between the sections of gear-teeth Q of the ring K. When it is desired to bring these teeth into engagement with those of gear H, the pawl P is tripped or operated, rotating gear K by its engagement with the lug 10, so as to bring the teeth Q into engagement with the gear II. The pawl on being released is moved backward by spring 0. Said pawl is beveled on its under side, so that it slides up over the next succeeding lug in the rear and drops behind it in position for engagement on the next trip.

The tripping or throwing of the pawl is accomplished as follows: Hand-lever M on being pulled backward rocks shaft L backward likewise and moves pawl P forward, which throws the mutilated gear K, as before de scribed, into engagement. This rotates the gear K and its coacting seed-plate J a sufficient distance to carry one of the seed-holes l over the passage (1 in the runner-shank, which drops a charge of seed onto the valve R on the heel of said shank. Said valve R is lifted by the connecting-rod R, which is hinged to the lug 7", which is rigidly connected to the rock-shaft L, so that the valve R, as

well as the shipping-pawl P, are both operated by the rock-shaft L; but in this'manner the rocking of shaft L backward closes the valve R while the pawl P is bringing the mutilated gear into action. It is necessary to close the valve R quickly and before the seed-plate has traveled far enough to drop a second. This is accomplished charge on the valve. by the spring 0.

As seen by the diagram, Fig. 3, the centers 1 2 3 of the tripping-levers form a dead-center the bell-crank lever M being normally on one side or the other of such dead-center. In moving the lever M either backward or forward the spring is compressed as it travels toward the dead-center. dead-center,the spring 0 recoils and draws the rook-shaft L backward into position quickly and closes the valve R. Thus the lever M in moving either backward or forward makes a full double throw, bringing the mutilated gear into engagement and at the same time opening the valve. Then spring 0 quickly retracts the shaft L, closing the valve in time to receive the next charge of seed dropped by the action of mutilated gear K, revolving the seed-plate. Instead of a hand-lever a footlever m may be employed in the usual manner by connecting the same to the trippingarm.

WVhen it is desired to drill, the lever M is made to act as an idler by changing the connection of the connecting-rod O with bellcrank lever M. It is disengaged from the lower hole and engaged with the hole O ,which brings the parts onto a dead-center,which prevents the operation of the rock-shaft L and allows the continuously-rotating gear F to be employed. Of course the rock-shaft L can be operated by the check-rower trip as well as by the hand or foot levers.

By employing the mutilated gear K and shipping mechanism to operate the seed-plate we are enabled to employ a continuously-rotating driving-shaft D and drop the corn intermittingly in hills in unison with the positive but intermitting rotary travel of the seedplanter operated by a continuously-driven shaft, and we believe we are the first to accomplish this result.

Having described our invention, what we claim is-- 1. In combination with a continuouslydriven shaft journaled to the front frame of a corn-planter, a seed-plate supported in a mutilated gear which is intermittingly driven by a main gear on said shaft and means for bringing the sections of the mutilated gear successively into mesh with the main driven gear, substantially as specified.

WVhen it passes the 7 IIO 2. In combination with a continuouslydriven shaft journaled to the front frame of a corn-planter a seed-plate supported upon a mutilated gear located in the bottom of the seedbox and which is intermittingly driven by a maingear on said shaft and a shippingpawl adapted to engage with lugs on said mutilated gear and lever mechanism for operating said shipping-pawl to move the mutilated gear into engagement with the main adapted to automatically engage and disengage with the mutilated gear and a spring connected to the pawl-operating mechanism for retracting the movement of the rock-shaft and shipping-lever, substantially as specified.

5. In a corn-planter the seeding mechanism for hill-dropping, consisting of the continuonsly-driven shaft and a main gear, a mutilated gear and seed-plate, a pawl for bringing the two said gears into engagement, a valve mechanism in the heel of the runner, a rock shaft to which the valve and shipping-lever are each connected and means for operating said rock-shaft to throw the valve and pawl in time movements to each other, substantially as specified.

6. In combination with the frame-piece a, the clamp-plates e, a, secured thereto, the frame-arms cl provided with an eye g, and the segmental bearing f, supporting the drivingshaft D, substantially as herein specified.

7. In a corn-planter, the combination of the rock-shaft L, the tripping-arm N, the connecting-rod O, the bell-crank lever supported upon the runner-frame, the retractile spring 0, and means for changing the pivotal attachment of said connecting rod with the free arm of said bell-crank lever, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands.

SYLVESTER I'I. JONES. ELMER E. TOWLE.

Witnesses:

E1) J. MORGAN, HERBERT J. FARMER. 

